Russia faces geographic and demographic challenges to its mobilization capacity, which is far from limitless—despite claims made by its propaganda.
This was stated by Serhii Cherevatyi, Director General of Ukrinform, at the international forum “Information Warfare: From Resistance to Resilience,” according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
“Society must remain resilient and not give in to Russian propaganda, which has many tools to spread panic. One of the narratives they push is that Russia allegedly has an inexhaustible mobilization resource. But if we look at their geography and demographics, we see that’s not true. Yes, it’s larger than ours, but it comes with its own problems,” Cherevatyi said.
He emphasized that Ukraine managed to withstand the initial phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion and successfully carried out a number of military operations—despite widespread skepticism around the world.
The Director General of Ukrinform stressed the importance of sustained efforts in military strategy and across Ukrainian society as a whole, noting that everyone must do their part to achieve victory.
Cherevatyi also addressed the issue of criticizing military and political leadership during wartime. He cited the case of U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller, who publicly criticized leadership decisions during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and was subsequently relieved of duty.
“In that democratic country, a court hearing was held where the lieutenant colonel admitted guilt. As a result, his service in Afghanistan and Iraq was taken into account, and he received a reprimand, a fine, and placed under military detention … In our case, we have Order No. 73 from the Commander-in-Chief, which outlines who among the military personnel is authorized to speak publicly. Just look at who’s speaking and who’s following it. That’s also a fundamental issue,” Cherevatyi noted.
In conclusion, he stated that Ukrainians are a “horizontal” nation, and the key to their strength lies in unity.
As reported earlier, the international forum “Information Warfare: From Resistance to Resilience” brought together leading experts from various countries. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate and the Institute for National Resilience and Security.
